automating "master_read_to_file"

Hi guys

I need to automate the "master_read_to_file" function. Normally, i just open system console and execute the command. Now, id like to automate calling it from a python script. First thought was to try modifying the jtag_server_cmds code here to create a command that will call the master_read_to_file and then try to replicate opening the TCPIP socket in python.

https://www.ovro.caltech.edu/~dwh/correlator/pdf/altera_jtag_to_avalon_mm_tutorial.pdf

But i read somewhere that i might be able to just execute a wrapper script containing the master_read_to_file call directly from a command line interface instance of system console.

So i implemented a subprocess call in python using the following code:

python_subprocessCallWrapper('C:/altera/15.0/quartus/sopc_builder/bin/system-console.exe -cli -script=C:/test/wrapperScript.tcl')

where wrapperScript will eventually contain the master_read_to_file (right now, it just creates a text file).

This works fine. except it takes about 10 seconds to complete because system console takes some time to start up.

If i could just start system console once and then run the wrapperScript when needed, that would speed things up quite a bit.

I dont believe that '-script=C:/test/wrapperScript.tcl' will work on its own. that it has to be part of the initial call, so i can issue a 'source C:/test/wrapperScript.tcl' instead.

The problem is that if i try issuing 'source C:/test/wrapperScript.tcl' to my process.stdin, the command is taken, but no new test file is generated.

This seems like the simpler approach, but its turning into a science fair project.

Is there a better way to do this?

Is system console designed to take in multiple "interactive" lines like this?

Can i speed up system console?

Can i somehow run the master_read_to_file straight from nios cmd shell or similar tool?

Is the TCPIP client server better?

Any help is appreciated!

thanks